Focussed on Jesus
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Eternity-Inspiration for Thursday 10th February 1998
Focussed on Jesus
(Heb 12:1-3 NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the
sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the
race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and
finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such
hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and
discouraged in your souls.
Tonight I took a Bible study with a couple of young Christians who
went up and down in their faith. I told them that the secret was to
stop evaluating their own spiritual performance and just focus on
Jesus. It's like tight-rope walking - if you think about falling, or
look over the edge, down you go. If you focus completely on the end
point and the rope then you do well. One of the worst things you can
do to your Christian life is to worry about it. When Paul said "Be
anxious for nothing.." he meant it! Nothing means no-thing, zip,
zero. Don't even worry about how well you are doing spiritually, just
focus on Jesus and follow Him - that will take care of everything
else.
Being a very analytical person one of my favourite things to analyse
was me. It got me nowhere. I just went in little circles. One
afternoon in 1984 I was sitting on the back steps wondering about
how good it would be to have a magic wand so that I could just wave
it and change myself at will. God butted in and said "Where would
you start"..so I told Him, then I thought, no I would have to change
X before Y then maybe Z, no Z would have to come first...and so on,
you can guess that I quickly realised that I was simply not
competent to change myself. I would just have to trust God the Holy
Spirit who was willing and working toward my perfection (Philippians
1:6). That started a process that ended up with me stopping all my
self-analysis and just focussing on Jesus and my Christian life came
together in a much happier and more productive way.
How do we focus on Jesus? I suggest there are three main strategies:
1. Worship at every opportunity.
2. Seek His interests before your own. Work out what Jesus wants
done in this world then do that first. Imitate His lifestyle in your
world.
3. Spend time knowing Him through intense Bible study and reflection
on who He is. We don't think enough about Jesus and who He is (or
preach enough).
As we focus on Jesus the intensity of our own needs fades away and
our life gets far less stressed and neurotic and far more stable.
Keep your eyes pointed upwards not inwards! Try it today!
Prayer:
Lord we imagine ourselves to be far more important than we are. Keep
us focussed on You and Your kingdom agenda and glory so that we may
know peace and joy. Amen.
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John Edmiston ([email protected])
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